Page 61 of Solomon’s Temple

“Stripper? Solomon Jacob Matthews, is this true?” Urina asked, appalled.

“Please don't ask me any more questions. Furthermore, I’m never a hypocrite. I know who I am. I don’t say one thing and do another, and I’m not perfect. But what you won’t do is insult me or insult my wife because you’re being delusional and thinking I’ll take you back after almost twenty years of no communication or contact. You are out of your damn mind.”

“Wife?” Mr. and Mrs. Matthews said in unison.

“Yes. Wife. Temple and I are married and planning a big wedding for our family, but you won’t be getting an invitation from me. Pop, you're more than welcome to come since you understand the assignment. As far as your wife, since she seems to love living in the past, she can go to Shareece’s wedding if she ever finds a man who actually wants her.”

“Go to hell, Solomon!” Shalika yelled.

“You go first. Come on, baby. Let’s blow this joint, mamas.” He took my hand, and I stood, glad to get away from this awkward-ass family. We headed out of the dining room while his mother yelled for him to come back.

“Solomon!”

“Let him go, Urina. You can never leave well enough alone,” I heard Mr. Dorian say just as we walked out. I could hear Urina fussing at him as we walked out the door.

“I will never put this on you again. I really thought she’d changed.”

“It’s okay, babe. At least I know what you meant about them being nosy. I like your dad, though,” I told him while he opened the passenger door and helped me inside.

“He a’ight. Still iffy about him too.” He closed the door, then got inside and started the engine.

“I should go snatch that nappy wig off your little girlfriend while she coming for me.”

He chuckled. “I almost cussed. But forget her . . . She’s really baldheaded under that thing. God, forgive me.”

I laughed aloud just as he pulled from the curb.

The dinner didn't go well, but I hoped his other family was better than his parents. If not, I might just be fighting tonight.

It never failed.

I strongly believed my moms had some sort of vendetta against me because I never did what she required or suggested I do. Her inviting Shareece into my space after I’d made it blatantly clear that Shareece was old news was on a level of disrespect that I wouldn’t accept.

She knew about me bringing Temple and invited that woman over to bring a cake?

A damn cake?

Yeah, Urina had crossed so many lines since I was a little boy, that it would take some heavy prayer for me to forgive her for the way she acted tonight.

My pops had called to apologize to us for my mother’s behavior, but I was over the madness. I loved my mother, but there was something wrong with her mentally, and he refused to acknowledge it.

“Are you going to be okay, babe?” Temple asked me. I had been brooding for the last ten minutes. The music on the radio had become white noise as my thoughts took a front seat in my mind.

I hadn’t said anything since my father called, so I knew why she asked me that question.

I put a smile on my face and took her hand. “I am. I should have just followed my first instinct and waited to introduce you to them. I don’t know why I thought she’d changed.”

“It’s the God in you. I’m sure you expected her to be different, but some people can't change overnight. I honestly expected her to give me the cold shoulder, but I was prepared to warm her up to me.

“The fact that she wants you to be with a girl you hadn’t been with since high school is crazy. What’s so special about her that she was able to woo her?”

“Nothing. Her parents are good friends with mine. We used to talk about how we would get married and have kids after college. I guess Urina got it in her head that it would or could still happen even after we broke up and Shareece moved away.”

“FTB,” she said, rolling her eyes hard.

“What? What does that mean?”

“Since I have to stop cussing around you, you’ll just have to figure it out.”